New "Plus One" article - could happen in '11

[BullsFanInTX]

I am sorry, but I just can't see BCS conferences just giving away lucrative BCS AUTO bids for non auto bids.  There is too much money at stake, and they don't want to share the bucks with the non bcs.  What advatage would a BCS conf have over a non bcs conf then.  You don't just give up your source of power for no reason.  Actually, you never give up your source of power, even for a good reason, unless forced to.  I see it as all BCS conference maintain thier auto bids, but the top four in the final BCS poll head to semifinals instead of one of the other bcs games.  It is really very simple.

[Joe]

I am sorry, but I just can't see BCS conferences just giving away lucrative BCS AUTO bids for non auto bids.  There is too much money at stake, and they don't want to share the bucks with the non bcs.  What advatage would a BCS conf have over a non bcs conf then.  You don't just give up your source of power for no reason.  Actually, you never give up your source of power, even for a good reason, unless forced to.  I see it as all BCS conference maintain thier auto bids, but the top four in the final BCS poll head to semifinals instead of one of the other bcs games.  It is really very simple.

They don't want to, Congress has forced this on them. Creating the 4 team playoff with the BCS will force this even more. There was a reason the 5th game was added this past year. Not because they wanted another 2 teams in. Or a "national championship" game. It was done to prevent possible antitrust actions from the 5 non BCS conferences.

I have been told from what I think are reliable sources that the majority of the BCS conferences are willing to forgo the autobids. First because it is impossible with 4 teams. Second because they will be signing deals with the other BCS Bowls.

For example last year would have been like this

Championship Game:

At one of 5 sites (Sugar, Orange, Rose, Fiesta, and Cotton)

4 Team Playoff:

Bowl Semifinal 1: #1 vs. #4 (rotating above sites): Ohio State v. LSU

Bowl Semifinal 2: #2 vs. #3 (rotating above sites): Florida v. Michigan

BCS Bowls (would probably return to original agreements):

Sugar: SEC v. at large (or Big East)

Orange: ACC v. at large (or Big East)

Fiesta: Big 12 v. at large

Rose: Big 10 v. Pac 10

One of these games would include a Non-BCS team with an auto birth.

That's how it was explained to me. It allows the bowls to assure somewhat of an autobid without actually giving autobids, surpassing the antitrust problem

That being said, I don't see any of this happening.

[BullsFanInTX]

As long as the BE gets a tie in to either the Orange or Sugar bowl and keeps Gator/Sun, I guess I would be ok with the plan, if it ever happens.